Good Wednesday, everyone. We have a potent system working into the region today and this will bring the potential for more flooding issues and even the chance for some strong storms. Following all this comes a quick-hitting blast of arctic cold.
Let’s start this out with looking at the Flash Flood Watch that’s out for the entire state and many of the surrounding areas…
Flood Warnings are now out for several rivers across the region…
My concern is for a corridor of torrential rains developing this evening across areas of central and eastern Kentucky. That could really increase the flash flood risk in these areas.
The potential is also there for a few strong storms are also possible, but not likely. High winds would be the primary player with the greatest threat across southeastern Kentucky. Here’s the Severe Weather Outlook from the Storm Prediction Center…
Cold air crashes in behind this for Thursday with an arctic front sliding in Thursday afternoon. That may have a broken line of snow showers along it, with some snow showers behind it into Thursday night…
I will have updates later today. Until then, I have you all set to do some Wednesday weather tracking…
Possible Watch Areas
Have a great day and take care.
Freezing Rain/Sleet Crittenden Co.
According to Crittenden county Mesonet, the lowest temperature was 35 degrees, nowhere near the freezing mark. You may have had sleet but not freezing rain. Freezing rain is not the same thing as sleet, not even similar to sleet. Sleet is an ice pellet falling from the sky. Freezing rain is a good ole-fashion raindrop falling from the sky like we see in summertime but comes into contact with a surface or object that is below 32 degrees. Clear as mud? Good.
Even the textbook Ohio Valley winter storm cannot produce any sort of winter weather this season. When you get a cold high pressure just to our NE funneling in cold air. A storm system coming in from the S/SW this time of year use to always spell a textbook Ohio Valley winter storm with actual winter weather. Not anymore!!! Just another cold rainmaker with backside flurries and then two days later will just repeat the whole rain process again, good times.
At least we have the memories….{{{sighhhh}}}d
Dynamic cooling would really help things out. High pressure is just a bit too far north and the system is also.
It’s been a long time since any winter system hasn’t gone according to plan, too. Forecasting has gotten better, or …well, yeah the alternative is pretty crazy to think about.
Most of the cold air is still bottled at the caps. Even areas of Canada that are normally comically cold now are not. now, if you go a bit more north, it’s crazy cold.
I thought everybody was worried about the caps melting and us all living like in Water World? They are getting nice an frozen now 🙂 BTW, Water World is so bad it’s good 🙂
Any signs that this pattern will be easing up?
From what I’ve read it looks to be less frequent with the rain and temps look to be normal or slightly above. Not looking good for the snow chances, but I will take a few dry days with normal temps. Normal this time of year (50 degree highs) starts to get pretty comfortable. That along with DST in about three weeks will be nice.
Less frequent rain doesn’t mean no rain. Lol. Would be nice to at least drop down to only raining every other day instead of 5 to 6 days a week.
This pattern will break and I expect a late arrival winter event. Seen it happen back in the 80’s. I was in the infield at Churchill Downs at Derby with sleeting and a very, very cold rain. I remember snow back in 86 in May. The flakes were as big as silver dollars. Snowed heavy and then the sun came out. It was gone as fast as it came down.
I think you’re reaching ( I can appreciate your optimism) but this pattern we are in is locked in and has zero plans on breaking.
I agree. It’s not like we have hung out with cold weather this winter and just couldnt get the moisture at the right time. I have not even hit single digit lows this year. The models are showing normal and maybe a little above for the majority of upcoming days. We might catch a surprise snow, but no prolonged stretch of winter temps is coming anytime soon.
No prolonged stretch of winter at all this winter season and being this late in the winter season I truly doubt will see it or should I say feel it.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the SW suburbs of Chicago, including my county, Will County, until Thursday morning. 2 to 4 inches of snow is predicted, with 3 to 5 inches further south. Less is expected to the north, which is why there currently is no WWA for Chicago and to the north (though the NWS does say one may be issued for that area later on, depending on snowfall rates).
The big news is the bitter cold that’s on the way here for Thursday night/Friday morning, as skies will clear with temps predicted to bottom out to 5 to 10 below zero over much of the Chicago area (away from Lake Michigan), with the fresh snowpack. The winds are not expected to be strong, but still wind chills may be near 20 below zero. We haven’t seen any below zero temps yet this season anywhere in the Chicago area!
It sure won’t stick around though, as temps are predicted to bounce back to the 30s on Saturday and near 40 Sunday and Monday. The story of the Chicago winter so far… what cold air and below normal temps we have seen hasn’t stuck around longer than a few days. The last 21 days here have all averaged above normal, mainly due to the much-above normal nighttime lows, which have basically been in the 20s to around 30.